Joel Edgerton has signed on to star alongside Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet in “The King,” the upcoming Netflix adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” and “Henry V,” the actor’s reps confirmed to TheWrap.
The “Red Sparrow” actor will play Falstaff, a character who appeared in five of Shakespeare’s plays and was most prominently featured in “Henry IV” as the companion of Prince Hal, who becomes King Henry V (Chalamet). Production is set to begin in Europe this June.
David Michod (“War Machine”) is directing the film, with Brad Pitt’s Plan B producing the film. Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner are listed as producers with Edgerton, Michod and Liz Watts.
Edgerton, who earned a Golden Globe nomination last year for his lead performance in “Loving,” has already appeared in three films this year: the Netflix cop-fantasy “Bright,” the Fox spy thriller “Red Sparrow,” and the Amazon comedy “Gringo,” which was directed by his brother, Nash. He will next appear in the coming-of-age film “Boy Erased,” which will be released by Focus Features this September.
Edgerton is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content, Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, and Shanahan Management.